Serge Ferrari Introduces 7TH MATERIAL Category, Challenging Mass-Based Performance Metrics in Architecture
Serge Ferrari Architecture has unveiled the 7TH MATERIAL, a new category dedicated to advanced membranes that manage light, control solar heat, facilitate airflow, and address acoustics. On October 08, 2026, Eduardo Souza highlighted that simply increasing material quantity does not guarantee enhanced performance. Nic Goldsmith emphasized that architectural history strives for efficiency through minimalism. At The Camp in Aix-en-Provence, created by Corinne Vezzoni & Associés, an expansive campus of 11,000 square meters incorporates 7,000 square meters of membrane for daylight filtration and rainwater collection. Meanwhile, BDP Pattern minimized panel types and developed a prototype at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, with a Lyon simulation indicating a notable reduction in cooling needs. The 7TH MATERIAL approach assesses performance density, requiring earlier material choices in the design process.
Key facts
- Serge Ferrari Architecture revealed the 7TH MATERIAL, a category centered on technical membrane, on October 08, 2026.
- Nic Goldsmith, Founding Director of the Lightweight Structures Group at TYLin and author of Mass to Membrane, spoke at the reveal.
- The Camp in Aix-en-Provence, designed by Corinne Vezzoni & Associés, spans 11,000 square meters with approximately 7,000 square meters of membrane.
- At Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, BDP Pattern reduced panel types from 320 to 86 and built a full-scale prototype using three geometries.
- A 40-meter cantilever on the west side of Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium shades the field at 4:00 p.m. on game days.
- A Lyon office simulation with Type D glazing and automated external solar shading cut cooling demand from 60.2 to 29.8 kWh/m²/year and raised heating demand from 11.4 to 13.4 kWh/m²/year, a 39.59% combined reduction.
- Nick Tyrer stated: "Do not specify the material to fit a form you have already decided on. Let the material and the geometry find the form together."
- The 7TH MATERIAL methodology uses performance density to compare equivalent functions, including maintenance, replacement, carbon emissions, and end-of-life considerations.
Entities
Artists
- Eduardo Souza
- Nic Goldsmith
- Corinne Vezzoni
- Nick Tyrer
Institutions
- Serge Ferrari Architecture
- TYLin
- Lightweight Structures Group
- Corinne Vezzoni & Associés
- BDP Pattern
- ArchDaily
- Archdaily
- designboom
Locations
- Beijing
- China
- Salt Lake City
- United States
- Chongqing
- Madrid
- Spain
- Wuwei
- Aix-en-Provence
- France
- Al Ain
- United Arab Emirates
- Lyon
- Wanning
- Nîmes
Sources
- Designboom —
- ArchDaily —